Busy summer...

Well, as  you can see, I have been majorly behind when it comes to blogging.  Having the kids home this summer was GREAT and we filled up every second with fun activities....soccer, swimming, triathlon, more swimming, picking blackberries, going to the lake, visiting with friends in StL, and more!  Who had time for blogging??

Now that the kids are in school, I am trying to get everything posted asap.  Then hopefully I won't get so behind...after all, we have school starting, the big birthdays coming up, and the before you know it we will hit the holidays!

Happy Reading!

Show-Me-State games

Well, it was the hottest time of the year, which means it must be time for the Show-Me-State games.  The competition was fierce!  Owen's team played hard and had some great plays.  Owen even got to play goalie and discovered how much he loved it.  He is quite the defender!  They didn't win a medal this year, but had a great time playing!  Brendan played on a competitive team, even though he hasn't really played in over a year.  He held his own and did lots of running on that huge outdoor field.  He played forward and was able to help make some great plays.  His team won a bronze medal!   Now both the boys each have a bronze medal (Owen got one last year)!  It was hot and sweaty but they boys enjoyed playing outdoor soccer (we..and by that I mean me.. are usually wimpy and stick with indoor soccer!).

Look at those cuties!!

The bronze medalists:-)

"Larry's Lake"

Brenda's brother Larry has a lake that he is nice enough to let us visit.  It is a beautiful retreat, complete with rustic cabin and port-a-potty:-)  The kids love the lake.  This year, they figured out the rope swing, with a little help from their older cousins.  The Wendling's were in full force: Aunt Kim, Lauren and Dayna, Aunt Lisa, Uncle Jeff, Shelby, and Sasha were able to also come up this year.  I really only took pics of the kids on the rope swing (oops!) but that was THE entertainment!

Fine Arts Camp

Brendan was selected to attend a special Fine Arts Camp sponsored by Columbia Public Schools this summer. Only 5 students from each elementary were selected and Brendan was one of them!  He LOVES art and was thrilled to be chosen.  He went from 8::45am-3:45pm every day for a week and learned more about art and music.  Every day he couldn't wait to tell us about his day.  On the last day, they had a program to show off all they learned.  Brendan got to play the bongo drums in a neat drum program, in which part of it he played blind-folded!  He also got to show of his art work and answer questions about it.  Here are some pictures....

Brendan and his Spanish-inspired "nateraleza" or "nature" box

Playing the Drums...even blind-folded!

A joint project that all the students participated in....the stain glass window will be hung in the district office.

Loving every minute of it!